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by FannieForever15
Summary: After having some rough times at the Capitol, Finnick knows he always has Annie and District 4 to come back to. "I'll always be here, Finn. Right here," Rated T. Warning: Mention of prostitution (no actual scenes of the prostitution). Romance, fluff, hurt/comfort, friendship, the whole nine yards.


Every night at six o'clock, Finnick and Annie sit together in the sand to soak up the last few hours of sun before it sets. It's been part of their routine since Annie won her Games, and neither of them ever skips out for any reason. So, one day when Finnick isn't waiting for her by the water like he always is, Annie starts to worry.

Early in the morning, Finnick gets a call saying he needs to go to the Capitol for his "job" with a client. He had no choice but to go because he knows that if he refuses to be a prostitute in the Capitol that Snow will kill everyone he cares about, Annie included. So, without a chance to tell Annie where he's going, he got on a train, and away he went.

After spending several hours riding on a train to come back home from the Capitol, Finnick arrives at the train station in District Four and drops his bags off at home before going straight to the beach. Not just any beach, but a very small, secluded stretch of the sea that is _perfect_ for the two victors. In fact, only _they_ know that it's there. While he walks through the trees that hide the shoreline from people's view, he sees that Annie is still waiting for him, and he lets out a sigh of relief.

Once he reaches her, he sits beside her in the sand, bringing his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around his legs. He looks out at the water, staying quiet for a few minutes before saying, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she says softly, putting a hand on his back and gently rubbing between his shoulder blades, and he relaxes at her touch. "Where have you been?"

He sighs. "Snow needed me," he says quietly. She looks down, knowing what he means by that, and she rubs a tense spot on his shoulder. He lays his head on his knees and closes his eyes. "I hate it," he says sadly.

"I know, Finn. I know." She moves closer to him and puts her other hand on his leg to rub his knee, wanting to get as close to him as possible, and he wraps his arms around her waist to hold her gently.

"Thank you." he says quietly.

"I'll always be here, Finn. _Right_ here," she says softly.

He nods slightly. "You have no idea how much that means to me."

She smiles. "Actually, I think I do."

He nods, kisses her cheek softly, and looks at her. "Why do you wait for me even when I'm late, like today?"

"I love you, Finn. That's what I'm here for. I'll always wait for you."

"I love you, too," he says quietly, hugging her more tightly. "No matter what."

She keeps rubbing his back and knee, feeling like she can't get close enough to him, and he smiles slightly, kissing her jaw.

After working up the nerve, she whispers, "What part do you hate the most?"

"All of it," he mumbles. "I hate that I don't love them, and I hate what I have to do with them. It… it's wrong," he says in a disgusted tone.

She nods, understanding. "What do you think about when you're... there?"

**"**You." He looks at her before saying, "I'm worried that I'll come home one day and find that you're gone or find out that you hate me." He looks down.

"That'll never happen," she says quickly, shaking her head. "It's not your fault, Finn. You know that, right?"

He shrugs. "If it's not mine, then whose is it?"

"Snow's. Not yours Finn, not yours," she says, burying her face in his shoulder, disturbed by the fact that he thought the prostitution was _his _fault. She takes deep breaths, trying to calm herself, thinking to herself, "_If I stay calm, he will, too_."

He rubs the back of her hand gently, kissing her forehead. "I… I'm okay," he says in a shaky voice, and she nods and strokes his hair, not feeling like talking. She keeps breathing deeply and kisses his shoulder, leaving her lips pressed to his skin for a long time. He closes his eyes and matches her breathing.

"You're doing well," she says, smiling into his shoulder. He smiles slightly at the praise, lacing his fingers with hers, and she squeezes his hand. "The sand is warm tonight, huh, Finn?"

He nods. "And I bet the water's cold."

She smiles and nods. "Come on. Let's go take a swim," she says, still dreading going into water but wanting to make him feel better.

He nods, grinning and pecking her on the lips, and she lets him go, standing up. He holds his hands out to her, smiling. "Help me up, love?"

She nods slightly and reaches her hands out to him, wondering how much pain he is in. He takes her hands and pulls her down into a kiss before standing and picking her up in his arms, wincing slightly, and she quickly tries to get down, so he's not in pain. "I can walk, Finn..."

He smiles. "But I want to hold you."

She smiles sadly, not wanting to argue. "'Kay," she says softly.

He kisses her nose and walks to the edge of the water before setting her down and pulling off his shirt, revealing perfectly tanned abs, and she pulls her shirt off, too, revealing a bikini. He smiles at her as she takes her skirt off, revealing the bottom of the swim suit. She giggles and takes his hand, and he laces his fingers with hers, leading her into the water. She smiles at him but flinches and frowns as soon as the water laps over her feet. He steps in front of her, taking both of her hands and immediately reassuring her when he says, "It's okay, Ann. I'm right here."

She nods. "O-okay." She smiles weakly. "I-I'm fine."

He nods and puts a hand on her cheek. "We can just relax on the beach," he suggests.

"No, let's go in." She pulls away from him and starts walking into the water with her teeth gritted.

He frowns, walking next to her. "Annie, let's just go back." She shakes her head and keeps walking until the water is up to her knees. He kisses her cheek softly, never taking his eyes off of her. She keeps walking, closing her eyes, and he stops walking and hugs her gently, making her stop, too. "Don't do this. You're uncomfortable."

"N-no... I'm fine," she says, pulling away and smiling, taking a few more steps until she is submerged up to her chest. She turns to him, suddenly panicking, and she wraps her arms around his neck, careful not to hurt him. "You said you wanted to hold me, right," she asks, and he nods. "Well... hold me now," she says, her voice wavering slightly. He nods and wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him. After a couple of minutes, she rubs his neck, trying to assure him she's okay now. "Where're you hurt," she asks softly.

"I'm fine." He smiles weakly, leaning his forehead against hers.

"Finn…" she sighs. "Don't lie." He sighs and looks away. "Finn, look at me." She caresses his cheek gently.

He bites his lip and shakes his head slightly.

"Finn," she says, pushing his cheek gently toward her, trying to make him look at her. He looks at her reluctantly, his eyes filled with tears. Surprised, she says, "Finny!" She takes his face in her hands and wraps her legs around his waist, very concerned. "Talk to me, sweetheart," she says softly.

He looks at her, tears starting to stream down his face. "I'm a cheater, Annie, and I _hate _it! I just want to come home and spend time with you after having a _normal _day at a _normal_ job! I don't want to do this anymore, Annie! I want to have a _normal_ life with you! I want to be what you deserve, and I can't do that!"

She shakes her head and talks in a gentle yet firm voice, looking him in the eyes when she says, "You _are_ what I deserve, Finn. You're _not_ a cheater, and I love you _so_ much."

His bottom lip quivers and he shakes his head. "I'm a prostitute, Annie, and… and I'm not good enough for you. You shouldn't have to wait for me every day." He shakes his head and looks down. "And… I love you, too. More than anything."

She wipes his tears and waits patiently for him to finish before she speaks. "Finnick Odair, you're _not_ a prostitute. Not in my book. You're perfect, and I'll _always_ be here waiting for you."

"You will," he asks, sniffling and looking up at her.

She smiles, nods, and wipes his face again, kissing his cheek. "You're perfect, Finn. I'll always be here waiting," she repeats. "Okay?"

He nods slightly, looking back at her. "Thank you," he chokes out. "You're too good for me."

She giggles and kisses his nose. "Are... are you going to tell me how badly you're hurt, babe?"

"Do you want me to," he asks, frowning slightly.

She nods. "Of course, so I can help you." She wipes his tears away again and rubs his neck.

He sniffles, his crying ceased. "It's just my back. They had me punished earlier." He gulps slightly. "I tried to refuse."

She looks up at him. "W-what'd they do to you," she asks in a small voice.

He shakes his head, feeling more tears rise to the surface. "I-I can't say it. You can look if you want to…"

She nods. "Go ahead and lay down, then," she says softly. He nods slightly and pulls away, lying down in the sand on his stomach. She nervously looks at his back, gasping as she sees nasty bruising. He doesn't say anything, shutting his eyes tightly.

"F-Finn… please tell me you didn't do this for me."

"But you told me not to lie, remember," he says quietly.

She tears up and sniffles, trying not to cry, knowing she needs to be strong for him. "I'll take care of you now, okay?"

He nods, choking up. He folds his arm under his head and buries his face in it, still lying down, and he starts to fall asleep. Seeing he's almost sleeping, Annie moves closer to him and sits next to him, lifting his head gently into her lap and stroking his hair. "I've got you, Finny. You're okay now," she whispers to him softly, kissing his cheek.

He nods and mumbles, "Love you."

"I love you, too, Finny."


End file.
